Buggy Love
by MWolfL
Summary: The monsters have become celebrities, and Dr. Cockroach admits his feelings for Ginormica. However, after Derek, Ginormica isn't ready to start dating again...but a few kind actions from Dr. Cockroach changes her mind. Dr. CockroachXGinormica
1. Victoire a Paris

A.N. The title of this chapter translates to Victory in Paris. As for the chapter of the story itself, well, it's a spoof of the expression 'puppy love', but since cockroaches are sometimes considered 'bugs'... I guess it's kinda lame huh?

After defeating Escargantua Ginormica and the other monsters became international stars...or at least stars in America and Europe. A mob of reporters surrounded the monsters and started asking questions, but Susan was able to control them into asking one question at a time. No one smart would argue with an almost-50-foot person after all.

"How did you defeat such a large creature?" One reporter asked.

"Well even though Escargantua was large he, being a snail, was also slow." Link replied. "Especially when compared to me. He also was weak for a large creature, so it wasn't hard to out-muscle him."

Dr. Cockroach rolled his eyes.

"Come on Link, you know it was really Ginormica who defeated Escargantua." Dr. Cockroach frowned.

"Well it was your idea." Ginormica smiled.

"Even so, why don't you tell the people how we all defeated Escargantua?" Dr. Cockroach smiled back.

Ginormica was a little caught off guard, since Derek would have hogged the reporters - much like Link was attempting - rather than share the credit. She recovered quickly and told the story to the reporters.

It turns out Escargantua couldn't be befriended. All the monsters tried but they kept on getting slimed (Ginormica even remarked that she now sympathizes with Bill Murray). So they decided to stop the creature entirely. B.O.B, who was always sensitive, was not included in the plan since he didn't want to kill anyone. Instead he was sent to keep an eye on the populace and to help anyone to safety if they got to close to the battle scene. Insectosaurus and Link distracted Escargantua by silking and fighting it, respectively. Dr. Cockroach and Ginormica stayed behind to figure out a plan, when Dr. Cockroach remembered the major weakness of snails: salt. So Ginormica ran off to get large quantities of salt, which she later sprinkled onto Escgarantua. Escargantua shriveled and shrank, until he was nothing more than a piece of dried up escargot.

A.N. The other monsters decided to stick with Insectosaurus since Butterflyosaurus didn't have the same ring to it. Plus butterflies are technically insects so it still works.

With the story done the reporters separately interviewed the various monsters, asking about their back-story and how they defeated Gallaxhar. Each monster told the story in their own way (they warned the reporters ahead of time that B.O.B was literally brainless and so his story wouldn't make much sense).


	2. The PreHumans Discuss the Future

After the interviews Ginormica wanted to stay in Paris for a while longer, and the other monsters agreed. Insectosaurus flew Link to a French beach, and B.O.B went off on his own to who knows where. No one was worried, B.O.B was indestructible. Heck, you couldn't even hurt his eye, a rarity in any creature. This left Dr. Cockroach and Ginormica on their own.

"So where would you like to go first?" Dr. Cockroach asked.

"Well, this is actually tricky because most of the places I want to visit are best enjoyed by someone of, uh..." Ginormica hesitated.

"Human size?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well then how about we just walk around and enjoy the scenery, maybe even a French park?" Dr. Cockroach suggested.

"I'd like that." Ginormica smiled.

She helped him onto her shoulder and walked down the street. During the walk Dr. Cockroach talked to Ginormica about the radiation that increased her size: quantonium. Ginormica told him what she knew, and Dr. Cockroach fell silent.

"Are you okay?" Ginormica asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I was just thinking of how to help you control your size without you losing your monster status." Dr. Cockroach explained.

"Really?"

"Yes, having been a human myself I can understand your frustration when it comes to not being able to enjoy the things you used to do. Of course your case is different from mine, but I too have a few disappointments."

"Like what?" Ginormica sat down on a grassy hill in a park.

"Like the fact that I'll probably never find my family." Dr. Cockroach sighed sadly. "The experiment that mutated me also increased my life-span, and it has been decades since I last saw them. At least you can still see your family."

"I'm really sorry to hear that. Did they even know what happened to you?" Ginormica asked sympathetically.

"They did, but I never found out how they reacted to it."

The two of them fell silent. After a few minutes Ginormica spoke up:

"So...any thoughts about my 'height'?"

"Well, I think I can create a device that can absorb the quantonium when you want to be Susan Murphy yet give it back to you when you want to be Ginormica. It has to be something you can wear during either size though and that's where my mind has gone blank."

"You'll think of something. Maybe in the meantime General Monger can help you find your family."

"Maybe, but I might as well forget about the past and concentrate on the future." Dr. Cockroach smiled weakly. "Now that we have more freedom I can socialize like I used to. Despite being a scientist I never stayed in my lab for extensive periods, at least not unless I was really concentrating on something. Of course my cockroach appearance may prove a problem...on the other hand our fame might help with that problem."

"I might as well think about the future too." Ginormica nodded. "With Derek way out of the picture I'd better aim towards some other lifestyle. I mean I now have 'battling evil' as a job, but I have to think about my home life. I don't think that facility we were kept in allows visitors, but I don't want to crowd any other place with a house big enough for me."

"Actually, since we're now known worldwide that facility we lived in may be open to the public. We can ask General Monger about that later." Dr. Cockroach said. "But what about your...personal life. Forgive me if I'm intruding..."

"Not at all." Ginormica smiled. "I'll still keep in contact with my friends and family. Also, I did always want a cat but with my current size...wait a minute, if you can figure out a way for me to control my size I can go back to my old house and live a normal life. Then I can just enlarge myself whenever it's time to save the world. Much like how Clark Kent changes to Superman...except of course my change would be more noticeable."

"I was actually thinking of going back to my old home too...at first." Dr. Cockroach sighed. "But then I remembered that it has probably changed by now. I'd best look for a new home instead."

"Maybe one in Modesto? That way we can visit more often." Ginormica suggested.

"Really?"

"Sure, since we both were humans we have a lot in common...besides, I think I can consider you my best friend out of all the other monsters."

Dr. Cockroach smiled, this time a real one.

"I would like that. It would be refreshing to have someone more intelligent for a best friend. But what if that friendship became, uh, stronger?"

"What do you mean?" Ginormica asked, confused.

"Well, I, you see..." Dr. Cockroach hesitated. "I...I love you."

Ginormica was surprised, and she didn't hide it. Then her look of surprise turned to a look of regret.

"I know I'm half-roach and everything now but even though I have a roach stomach I still have a human heart and..." Dr. Cockroach continued quickly.

"No, it has nothing to do with that." Ginormica cut in. "And it has nothing to do with you at all. It has more to do with me, and to a greater extent...it has to do with Derek. After finding out his true colors and he cutting off our engagement as coldly as he did...I'm just not ready to start dating again."

"That jerk...I mean because he hurt you not because..."

"I know." Ginormica smiled weakly. "I do appreciate how you're nothing like Derek. You're sweet, sophisticated...though a little eccentric..."

Dr. Cockroach chuckled.

"Yeah after being captured I thought that they thought of me as evil so I decided to act that role. Ended up enjoying the 'evil laugh' part. Now I know that they only captured me because other people weren't ready for my new appearance. Boy were they right...still right actually."

They fell silent again, but this time for a shorter period.

"So...do you think you'll ever...I don't mean to pry but I don't want you to be discouraged about love your whole life. It is a wonderful thing when done right after all..."

"I know, and I might in the future." Ginormica sighed. "At least after you create that device for me anyway."

"I'll get to work on it as soon as I get a new place to live." Dr. Cockroach nodded determinedly.

"Thank you." Ginormica smiled again, but not a weak one this time. "So what did attract you to me?"

"When I saw you fend off that robot before, at the Golden Gate Bridge." Dr. Cockroach smiled back. "You're the first woman ever to impress me."

"You mean you fell in love with me because I impressed you?" Ginormica said, stunned.

"Yes." Dr. Cockroach nodded. "I used to date a lot before my transformation. Not during high school, I had rotten luck then...actually that's what lead me to getting my Ph.D in dance. College and after however...I had countless girlfriends. Short-term ones too, I gave every girl who wanted to date me a chance, but they were either too shallow or boring or... Well, to keep it short none of them interested me or lost interest in me."

"Lost interest in you?"

"Because of my experiments." Dr. Cockroach explained. "I wanted someone who would be strong enough to handle me experimenting and inventing, yet also be kind and gentle. But since none of the girls who I previously dated fitted that quality I started to give up. I then realized that none of the girls I had dated had an ability of their own that was strong enough to impress me. I decided that I should stop dating until I finally found someone who would impress me. Interestingly, I found someone who fit the 'strong yet gentle' quality before I found someone who impressed me...both of them you. You were actually willing to let me experiment many times on you despite the numerous electrical shocks you received. I really started to like you for that. But then seeing you so determined to save those people despite being busy trying to not get crushed...that's when I knew that I had fallen in love with you."

Ginormica thought this over.

"You really are a decent, sincere man...but I'm still just not ready." She said sadly. "I do promise that when I am I will give you a chance, but for now I'd rather just be friends."

"I can live with that." Dr. Cockroach smiled.

He was kinda lying though. He loved Ginormica so much that it was metaphorically killing him that she was that traumatized by Derek's true colors being revealed. He knew that he would have to work hard to win her love, as he believed that he couldn't live without her. But, for now, he was just going to concentrate on getting a new home and building that device that would allow Ginormica to finally be able to control her height.


	3. The Monsters Get Resettled, and Resized

Later, when the monsters got back to California, General Monger met up with them.

"Greetings monsters, since you have now been accepted into society I was wondering if you would all like new homes." General Monger said.

Insectosaurus roared.

"Well Insectosaurus is fine with staying at that facility of yours." Link translated. "Since most other locations are too small for him. He does request that you make his room more nature-related, especially plants and maybe a skylight?"

"Will do. What about the rest of you?"

"Oh I'm sticking with Insectosaurus, but I would like a larger room that resembles the beach. Rather not deal with the pollution that's out in the ocean anyway..." Link added.

"I think I'll stay with them too." B.O.B nodded.

"Ginormica and I would rather move back into human society, since we used to be humans." Dr. Cockroach said. "She and I thought that my new home could be in Modesto, near where she lives."

"Right, but until Dr. Cockroach comes up with a device that can help me control my height I'll move back in with the others." Ginormica added.

"Sounds good to me." General Monger nodded. "But Dr. Cockroach, you won't..."

"No no, no safety-risking inventions." Dr. Cockroach shook his head. "I'll have my lab in the basement, and I think I'll just stick with beneficial inventions like I used to do before I became half-cockroach."

"Very good." General Monger saluted.

So a house was built in Modesto just a few blocks from Ginormica's old house. Ginormica's old house hadn't been sold yet, thankfully, so the government took it off the market so that Ginormica could move back in once she was back to being Susan.

It took a few weeks, but Dr. Cockroach finally came up with a solution. He created a round titanium object that had some sort of crystal lodged in it. While Ginormica was in her monster height it would be a ring, and then while she was in her human height it would be a necklace.

The monsters were now outside in Modesto, and Dr. Cockroach gave Ginormica the 'ring'. Ginormica put it on her finger but nothing happened.

"You have to want to change size for it to work." Dr. Cockroach explained.

Ginormica silently wished to be her old height and it worked! She shrunk down back to human size, her 'ring' becoming to large. After she finished shrinking she took the 'ring' and wore it around her neck. The crystal in the 'ring' glowed a blue-green.

"That crystal absorbs the quantonium whenever you want to be human sized again." Dr. Cockroach explained. "Then when you want to be Ginormica it releases it. The necklace/ring reads mind waves, so it can tell which height you want."

Ginor-er-Susan hugged him. He smiled happily, lovestruck, but recovered and hugged her back.

Susan's parents threw another party, this time a more successful one. Link was given a pair of goggles so that the chlorine wouldn't hurt his eyes again and Dr. Cockroach decided not to make his atomic fizz. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy were more comfortable around the other monsters now, mostly Dr. Cockroach.

"Thank you, for what you did for our daughter." Mr. Murphy smiled.

"Of course, I used to be human myself so I was able to empathize with her." Dr. Cockroach smiled back.

They talked for a while, and ended up liking each other. Even though Dr. Cockroach had the head and stomach of a cockroach he still had his human brain, heart, and personality. Near the end of the party Susan took Dr. Cockroach aside.

"I just remembered...what were you really going to say to me when we were on Gallaxhar's ship?" Susan asked.

"I...I was going to say that you'll always be a strong, smart, beautiful woman." Dr. Cockroach looked down a little shyly.

Susan smiled at him.


	4. A Past Comes Back to 'Pray' on Them

Time passed. Nothing big came up. Dr. Cockroach kept on attempting to win Ginormica/Susan's heart without seeming too forward. Mostly time out as friends, like having a pleasant chat in a coffee shop or going to the movies during the day.

One day Dr. Cockroach took Susan out for a night of dancing. She was blown away by how good a dancer he was. Of course she had already seen him dance back on Gallaxhar's spaceship, but this was the first time she saw him dance with a partner. She couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun.

What Dr. Cockroach didn't know was that he had quickly succeeded in winning her heart, she just still wasn't ready to start dating again.

After a few months, General Monger contacted Susan and Dr. Cockroach.

"Dr. Cockroach, Susan, time to come back to work." General Monger said. "This time we have a giant praying mantis terrorizing New York City." He was suddenly called away from the phone. "Huh? What's...? Oh, make that leaving New York City and heading southwest."

"Yes General Monger, we'll go after the mantis." Susan said. "However, don't send Insectosaurus with us, the praying mantis might try to eat him."

"Of course."

Susan went outside and turned back into Ginormica. She then picked up Dr. Cockroach and they headed towards where Link and B.O.B were. After picking them up they started to head northeast.

Fortunately, they met up with the mantis in an unpopulated area. The monsters and the mantis started to fight. But, when Ginormica knocked off a claw they saw that it was really a robot mantis!

"Surprise!" An evil voice said.

A guy on a hoverboard appeared. He was a black-haired caucasian, wearing green clothing and what looked like mantis antennae.

"Dr. Mantode!" Dr. Cockroach gasped.

"Who?" Link asked.

"He's an old rival from my college days." Dr. Cockroach explained. "He also had a fascination for bugs, mostly mantises and garden pests. He wanted to create a race of pest-humans and mantis-humans that he could use as an army. I stopped him though by reporting him to the head of the campus. Hadn't heard from him since until now."

"That's right, and I'm back for revenge!" Dr. Mantode said. "When I heard about a cockroach-human battling an alien I knew it was you so I decided to attempt to kill you. Unfortunately my last attempt was not successful, but this one will be!"

"Last...wait, you were the one who attacked Paris with Escargantua!" Ginormica realized.

"Yes, forgot to account for the salt weakness." Dr. Mantode shrugged. "Now Dr. Brambre, it is time for you to die!"

"Uh, you forget, you can't kill a cockroach easily." Dr. Cockroach pointed out.

"Dr. Brambre?" B.O.B repeated.

"Yes, that was my human name." Dr. Cockroach explained. "My human first name was Sander."

A.N. Dr. Cockroach's real name is a combo of the names of the two scientists from the movies The Fly (there were two movies, one from the 1950s and the other from the 1980s).

Dr. Mantode activated the robot mantis, causing it to attack Dr. Cockroach. Dr. Cockroach kept ducking, avoiding the attacks by inches. Link, meanwhile, had climbed onto the machine to try to short circuit it. B.O.B tripped the robot mantis by wrapping himself around its legs.

Ginormica couldn't help at first because Dr. Mantode was distracting her by trying to blast her with a ray he had on himself. Ginormica then decided that she would make a harder target if she shrunk to human size, so she did and put the 'ring' back on as a necklace. Her idea worked, Dr. Mantode didn't expect her to shrink and lost her as she hid amongst some rocks. By this point B.O.B had tripped the robot mantis, while Link succeeded in short circuiting it. Unfortunately, the robot mantis was going to fall on Susan!

"Susan!" Dr. Cockroach cried out, running towards her.

He then knocked her out of the way just as the mantis landed on the ground...right on top of him!

"Dr. Cockroach!" Susan gasped.

There was no sign of him.

Angry, Susan turned herself back into Ginormica, picked up Link, and flung him at Dr. Mantode. Link started to beat Dr. Mantode up as Susan lifted the robot mantis off Dr. Cockroach. She then shrunk back down to Susan and ran over to him. B.O.B followed.

"Is he going to be okay?" B.O.B asked.

"I hope so." Susan almost sobbed.

Link was able to defeat Dr. Mantode, and quickly joined them after restraining Dr. Mantode with some cables.

"Doc?" He said, worried.

Dr. Cockroach groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Link asked.

"I think so, if not I'll be okay after a few more minutes." Dr. Cockroach weakly smiled.

"Thank you." Susan smiled, relieved. "You saved my life."

"Of course." Dr. Cockroach smiled.

Susan turned back into Ginormica, picked up Dr. Cockroach, B.O.B, and Link with one hand, and then turned around and grabbed Dr. Mantode in her other hand.


	5. Buggy Love Becomes True Love

After delivering Dr. Mantode to General Monger and letting B.O.B and Link go back home, Ginormica brought Dr. Cockroach back to his house. She then gently lowered him onto the ground and shrunk herself back to Susan. Dr. Cockroach was feeling better by that point, so she was able to walk with him inside without supporting him. They both sat down on the couch, then Dr. Cockroach turned to her.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked.

"Just a glass of water, thanks." Susan smiled.

Dr. Cockroach smiled back, went into the kitchen, and came back with a glass of water. The other glass contained soda, surprisingly.

"Soda?" Susan was confused. "I thought you only ate and drank garbage."

"Well it is true that cockroaches prefer garbage but we can actually eat and drink anything." Dr. Cockroach explained. "We, like other insects, especially love sweets. I just went with a soda because I figured that leachate would make you feel ill."

"Thanks, it would've made me uncomfortable." Susan agreed before taking a sip of water. "Though your eating habits won't put me off being with you."

"That's good because...wait, what?"

"The truth is, I love you back." Susan said. "I did many weeks ago I just still wasn't ready to date again. But when you risked your life for me...I realized that I was being foolish. Just because one guy turned out wrong doesn't mean that all the other guys would turn out the same way...especially not you."

"You weren't being foolish, you were just being cautious." Dr. Cockroach smiled, happy beyond description. "Considering how Derek turned out I don't blame you."

Susan hugged him again, and he hugged her back. Susan never realized it before but Dr. Cockroach didn't smell like a garbage eater.

"Mint." She breathed in.

"Yes, despite being part cockroach I still keep up with my hygiene." Dr. Cockroach explained. "Actually, ever since I rejoined human society I've increased it due to my diet."

"Glad to hear, that should make the news easier when we tell my parents."

"Oh they shouldn't mind too much, they're still very grateful for me helping you with your height."

They pulled apart a little...and kissed. Again, Susan tasted mint. She also realized that Dr. Cockroach's kiss was stronger than Derek's had ever been. She knew, right then, that Dr. Cockroach had been the one for her the whole time. She used to regret that meteor hitting her, but now she was beyond grateful.

Dr. Cockroach had turned out to be right. After the whole Derek incident Susan's parents learned, like her, that there was more to a guy than his looks or job. So when they found out about Susan and Dr. Cockroach dating they were supportive of it, especially since they had already begun to like Dr. Cockroach.

As for the monsters, well the reactions varied. B.O.B was his usual sweet yet naive self, he congratulated them but often forgot about their relationship (then again he sometimes forgot how to breathe, so...). Link was supportive of it, but also a bit jealous. He took it like a gentleman though. Insectosaurus was very supportive of it...at least according to Link. The others still hadn't learned how to understand Insectosaurus.

As the years passed life mellowed for the monsters. Their success in stopping Gallaxhar, Escargantua, and Dr. Mantode and his recently named Automantis caused crime in general to wind down. But this didn't cause their popularity to wind down. After all no one easily forgets escaping being used for alien experiments and the Gallaxhar incident was no exception. Link was now able to visit the beach without attracting unwanted attention, but he rarely visited due to pollution (this slowly led to beach and ocean pollution lessening). Insectosaurus was able to visit places easier now that he could fly and not have to worry about crushing anything. B.O.B mostly stuck with being inside the facility, since it didn't take much to keep him entertained, though he visited his monster friends often. Dr. Cockroach was kind enough to make B.O.B's Jello 'girlfriend' alive, and luckily her lack of a brain caused her to return B.O.B's feelings. That and she was grateful to him for saving her from being eaten.

Susan and Dr. Cockroach spent most of their time participating in human activities, though sometimes they would work on experiments and inventions down in Dr. Cockroach's lab. All of those experiments and inventions were ways to help people and the environment, like a growth ray for food and a shrink ray for garbage. True, Dr. Cockroach ate garbage, but he couldn't eat all the garbage on the planet. Knowing about Link's problem with the ocean and beaches Dr. Cockroach also invented a couple of devices: one that would strain garbage from the ocean without harming living creatures (including plankton) and another that would strain garbage from the beaches while avoiding buried turtle eggs and without harming sand crabs.

A.N. The growth ray for food and shrink ray for garbage was based on similar inventions mentioned in the book Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants. They just look like regular rays rather than being shaped like animals.

Susan and Dr. Cockroach also spent their time on dates. And after a few years Dr. Cockroach proposed. Susan accepted, and finally she would have a successful wedding, more so since this time it was with the right guy. However, there was still the matter of Dr. Cockroach's family. General Monger took care of that, as a wedding present to Dr. Cockroach and Susan. But mostly Dr. Cockroach.

A few weeks before the wedding, General Monger paid Dr. Cockroach a visit. Which surprised Dr. Cockroach, General Monger rarely visited civilian homes.

"General Monger?" Dr. Cockroach said. "Uh, please come in..."

"Actually, you'll probably want to come with me." General Monger smiled. "I've located your family."

Dr. Cockroach dropped his mouth open. He instantly followed General Monger to his helicopter, and he gave Dr. Cockroach the info on the way there. It turns out Dr. Cockroach's parents had already died, but his sister was still alive and she had descendants. She also knew about Dr. Cockroach's experiments and what had happened to him, so his appearance won't be a shock to her. Well, maybe him showing up after fifty years would, but not his physical appearance.

Sure enough, his sister, Velma, recognized him and hugged him.

"Sander!" She said happily. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Same here, it's so good to see you again." Dr. Cockroach hugged her back.

They talked for a while, catching up, and then Velma introduced Dr. Cockroach to his brother-in-law, nephew, and niece. They had already known about Dr. Cockroach, due to Velma telling them about him, so they weren't horrified. Just awkward since they didn't know how to treat him. After many minutes it was like they had always known Dr. Cockroach. Dr. Cockroach then told his family about Susan, and they congratulated him. Obviously, they would be more than happy to come to the wedding.

A.N. I found out Sander means 'protector' so I wanted to give his sister a similar name. Who knew 'Velma' meant the same thing?

Since the bride and groom were unusual, the wedding wasn't ordinary either. It took place outside, just in case Susan needed to become Ginormica, and the guests and wedding party were allowed to not be formal (since Link, Insectosaurus, and B.O.B and his girlfriend Ana weren't exactly the types to wear formal clothing).

A.N. Ana, B.O.B's girlfriend, got her name from the scientific name for pineapple.

For once Dr. Cockroach didn't eat garbage during the actual party, though he and Susan did take the garbage home as a 'cockroach bag' (instead of a doggy bag). Susan moved in with Dr. Cockroach, since he still needed to be with his lab, and they were never happier. Well, except for a couple years later, when they had their first child. Then after that they were never happier.

Their son was named Perry, based on the scientific name for the American cockroach. He looked mostly like Susan, but had his father's antennae and survival skills. He also became smart, but mostly in the field of entomology. Since cockroaches were great recyclers, but unhealthy for humans to have in their homes, Perry devoted his life to breed cockroaches to recycle garbage without spreading diseases. He also worked on formulas to prevent allergies to bee and wasp stings, and bred mosquitos to not bite humans. After all mosquitos were food for other animals. Unfortunately he couldn't figure out how to make flies less pesky, but because of the rest of the great work he did no one minded. His work won him the Nobel Physiology Prize many years later.


End file.
